Bond Eternal
by KnightAngel765
Summary: Takari. "The crests of Hope and Light are special..." TK and Kari have always been close. Although close isn't really the right word. Bound together would be more like it. Wherever one is the other is also. After all Hope and Light cannot exist without the other.
1. Birth of Light and Hope

**5:50AM Sunrise**

The sun was just starting to rise over the city of Odaiba, Japan. As the first soft rays of light slowly made their way across the city it's inhabitants began to arise and begin another day. However for two families this was no ordinary day, for them this day would be remembered as the day their small families grew a little larger.

Taichi "Tai" Kamiya was bored…and when he got bored he started to think of things to do. These ideas of his usually ended up getting him, and whoever he was with, into trouble. Like the time he had convinced his friend Matt to help him catch the neighbor's cat so they could teach it to swim. While Tai and Matt had thought it to be a good idea at the time their parent's were anything but pleased.

Tai winced as he remembered the punishment he and Matt had gotten for that little escapade. No soccer for him for a week and Matt had been forbidden to listen to his music. Hence why he was sitting here quietly in the waiting room of the hospital while his new little sibling was being born, his parent's had threatened him with two weeks without soccer if he did anything bad.

At least he had Matt here to keep him company, his family too was here at the hospital anxiously awaiting the arrival of their own new family member. As Tai opened his mouth to speak both of the father's had walked into the waiting room with large smiles on their faces.

"Tai" "Matt"

As each of the boys turned to look at their dads they both started speaking at once, luckily for Tai and Matt they had the exact same thing to say…almost anyway.

"Are you ready to meet your new little sister Tai?"

"Are you ready to meet your new little brother Matt?"

As the two three year olds looked at each other their thoughts were running along the same lines.

'I'm a brother!'

As the two boys walked into the room that held their new siblings they both stopped when they caught sight of them. Not that seeing a newborn baby was all that uncommon for them. Rather it was what they were seeing that caused their surprise.

The two newborns were sleeping contentedly. However unlike the boys had expected they were not sleeping in their mother's arms. They were sleeping in each others, at least as much as they could with both of them being so small. In reality the two little ones were snuggled together wrapped in a warm blanket. The only part of the two that was easily visible were their right hands, their tiny fingers intertwined. Tai was the first to ask the question both the brothers were thinking.

"Why are they sleeping together like that?" He asked with a confused voice. He may have been young but he knew that most babies didn't sleep together like that. His question caused the adults in the room to laugh as his father explained.

"Haha well you see after they were both born your mom and Nancy wanted to show them off to each other so they had the nurses move the beds next to each other so they could get a good look. While they were talking these two little ones opened their eyes and looked right at each other."

This time it was Matt who interrupted with a question and his father who answered. "I thought that most newborns didn't open their eyes for a couple of days after they were born?"

"That's normally true but each child is different. I guess for these two they were just ready. Although your moms are a little disappointed that they first thing they ever saw wasn't them. Anyway once they saw each other the first thing they did was to hold hands like you see them doing now. In fact when they tried to separate them to feed them they both started crying and wouldn't stop until they were back together again." He said with a small smile on his face.

Nancy chimed in at this point with a smile on her face as she looked at her roommate. "I have a feeling that our families are going to be a lot closer with these two little ones in them." Tai's mother laughed as she replied "Yes, I think so too. In fact I have a feeling that we're all going to be a family one day." The women laughed as the men smirked and shook their heads at their wife's hopeful premonitions.

"So what did you name them Mom?" Matt asked as he and Tai watched their new siblings sleep.

"Well do you see the one with the blonde hair? That's your brother Takeru." His mother answered. "And the one with the brown hair is your sister Tai. Her name is Hikari." Tai's mother answered. As the two boys watched their new sibling sleep they were surprised to see Hikari snuggle in closer to Takeru. More surprising was the fact that Takeru seemed to try and pull her closer. Both boys thought the same thing as they looked on. 'I have a feeling that mom is right.'

Little did they all know how right the two mother's would be.

A/N: Hey again. I know it's been so long since I've updated anything. My mind just keeps bouncing around which makes it difficult to focus long enough to think about where I want my stories to go. This story has been keeping me up at night and I've finally found a little time to write out this first chapter. Even if it has taken me three weeks to get it somewhat presentable. In any case read and review and let me know what you think. I know this first chapter and probably the next couple are going to start off slow so be prepared for that.


	2. Failed Experiment and Guardian Angels

**11:00 PM A few days later**

The two weary mothers looked at each other and smiled as Nancy walked into the Kamiya home. Nancy gave an exhausted laugh as she answered the unspoken question. "Yeah Takeru has been keeping us all up all night. And judging by the look on your face I'm guessing Hikari has been doing the same?" As she looked at the exhausted Kamiya matriarch the answer was plain to see.

Despite only being home from the hospital for just over 24 hours the two families were already looking worse for wear. Not that having a new baby in the house was anything new to the two couples, however they had all quickly realized that their new children did not like to be separated for any length of time. This was made evident even in the hospital where the two new additions had cried uncontrollably when separated. And not stopped until their mothers had put them back together. With the rare exceptions of feedings-even then they would only eat if the other was as well-the little ones had to be in physical contact with each other or at least within touching distance. Even when they were sleeping they refused to be separated from one another. If one of them awoke to find the other not beside them they would cry loudly. Usually they would be awoken by the other crying as they were carried away.

While the doctors had no explanation for such an unusual behavior they had assured the parents that both infants were perfectly healthy. Realizing that their new children's unique sleeping and eating habits would be an interesting challenge the two mother's had come up with an idea. Upon their discharge from the hospital they would attempt to keep the children separated for at least 24 hours. If the children proved to be able to tolerate the separation than they would simply continue on as normal. However if they could not the two families would take turns watching the two children. As Nancy worked from home as a freelance writer and Mrs. Kamiya was a stay at home mother the four agreed that this would be the best solution. Once their respective husbands came home from work they would take over for a few hours to give their wives a rest. They would switch off each day or two.

It was now 24 hours and 10 minutes since the two had left the hospital. Needless to say the experiment was a failure and the two families would have some adjusting to do. Not that much was really required. Tai and Matt played with each other nearly every day so there was not much of a change for them. The two boys of course loved the idea of having their best friend over all the time. The two were more like brothers than friends anyway. And if their mothers premonitions were correct it wouldn't be too terribly long before they were brothers or at least brothers-in-law. As for Takeru and Hikari the moment they were placed in Hikari's crib together they immediately snuggled together and went to sleep.

"I'm guessing Hikari hasn't been eating or sleeping much either?" Nancy asked as the two mothers sighed in relief at the blessed silence. "No not really. She was asleep for the car ride home and for a couple hours after but once she woke up she wouldn't stop crying."

"It was the same for us. Once Takeru woke up he refused to eat or sleep. All he did was cry and look around for Hikari. Matt and James finally collapsed from exhaustion about an hour ago." "Tai and Dai did too, although I am surprised that Hikari's crying kept Tai awake. He'd sleep through an earthquake if we would let him." Yukko laughed as she replied.

The two women smiled at each other as they watched their new children sleep. When the pair were together they were utterly content and happy. It was only when they were separated that they two became inconsolable.

"It's going to be an interested next few days isn't it?" Yukko said as she turned to Nancy. "It will take some getting used to but I don't think it will be two difficult as long as they stay together. I know Matt wasn't this well behaved when he was that little. He was always wanting one of us there with him."

"That's true." Yukko replied as the two women walked into the living room. "Tai wasn't that easy to handle either. He would have both of us ragged by the time he fell asleep. Speaking of sleep I think we should both use this chance and get some for ourselves. The kids will be asleep for a while after being up for so long. They'll wake up hungry and ready to eat though."

Nancy laughed as she replied. "I'm certain that they will. Do you mind if I stay in the guest room?" Yukko smiled as she replied. "Go right ahead. I went ahead and set it up for you a while ago."

As the two women turned off the lights as they went to get some sleep they both failed to notice the dark shadow that had been patiently hiding, waiting for its chance to strike.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

As the midnight hour came the shadow began to move from its hiding place. If one looked closely you could see the vague shape of what most people would refer to as a devil. The black being moved slowly into the room holding the two newborn children. It lingered for a moment watching the two children as they slept solidifying into a solid physical form as it did so.

As the dark being raised its black blade to strike at the two children a bright light began to radiate from the two. The devil snarled in rage as the light burned its dark red eyes. The bright aura of light shone with gold and pink intertwined as the two awoke at the noise. Its red eyes met the bright azure and warm ruby eyes of Takeru and Hikari. This moment of distraction would cost the devil its existence.

The Crests of Hope and Light shone brightly on the right hands of the two as two bright white lights appeared behind the devil. He dissolved into shadow as the bright blades of MagnaAngemon and Angewomon pierced his chest. Takeru and Hikari watched silently and without fear as their two guardians approached them.

Saying nothing the two angels gently laid the two little ones back down in their crib and covered them securely with their blanket. As the two angels watched over them the two little children snuggled together and slipped peacefully into sleep.

"We will have to be more careful in the future dear one." Angewoman began as they watched the two sleep. "Yes we will. We were not expecting them to strike so early. I had hoped that they would be unaware of their arrival for at least a few months." Angemon replied as he turned to his mate. "It is good at least that their bond has begun to manifest itself this early. It will make it that much harder for them to be separated. As long as they are together they will be safe."

"We should warn the others. They will be wondering why we were summoned and they were not." Angewomon said. Angemon nodded his assent as they prepared to leave. He watched with a smile on his face as Angewomon leaned down and gently kissed the two sleeping infants before the angels vanished in a flash of white light.

**A/N:Sorry if this chapter looks different from the first as far as formatting goes. I'm writing this story in a single Word doc rather than making a new one for each chapter so it may look a little odd due to the copy and paste feature. In any case as always read and review. The third chapter is currently finished and I'm starting on the fourth. I will finish that one before I post the third. Luckily it will likely happen today since I actually have time to write and know exactly what I want to do with it.**


	3. Five Years Later

Chapter 3

Five years had passed since the birth of Takeru and Hikari and the two were still just as inseparable as the day they had been born. With Tai and Matt now seven and going to school Nancy and Yukko had an easier time of managing the children having only two to watch instead of four. The two boys were closer than they were before since they both practically lived at each other's homes. With the children now older and able to care for themselves to some degree the two families had made the decision to keep all four of the children for a week at a time to make things easier on all involved. Tai and Matt shared one room and Takeru and Hikari another.

As the last five years had passed the bond between the two had only gotten stronger. While they no longer cried if they were separated they still preferred to be in relatively close contact with each other. As they always did when they were together they held hands if they could. Barring that they always made sure that they were touching in some way. The nights had gotten easier to some degree as the two now slept in separate beds although they always ended up snuggled together in the same bed regardless of where they had started. The parents had noticed however that while both children moved closer to one another Takeru always made sure that Hikari was comfortable even though he might not have been. Most times she would be safely in the middle of their two small beds and Takeru was usually close to the edge.

As time had passed the respective families had noticed more unusual things about the pair. Aside from their obvious sleeping habits and need for physical contact the two children seemed to be growing and learning at almost the exact same pace. If one of them started doing something the other would start as well, usually within a matter of minutes.

For example when they had started to stand and walk around a little. For most children it's natural for them to grab onto something and pull themselves up. For Takeru and Hikari however this was a little different. While they would still do this as soon as the two would be standing they would immediately grab onto each other for support. While most little ones learning to stand and walk are somewhat unsteady on their feet Takeru and Hikari were completely steady when holding onto one another.

As the two began to walk as they did with everything else they were always hand in hand. If one of them fell behind the other they would wait patiently for their partner to catch up before moving on. The pair we're inseparable regardless of what they were doing. They had even begun to learn to talk at the same time. Needless to say their parents weren't surprised when their first words were each other's names. At least as close as the two little children had been able to come anyway. As a result the shortened names had stuck and Takeru was now TK and Hikari was Kari.

Another odd ability the two children seemed to share was the unusual trait of always knowing where the other was. On the rare occurrence that they were out of both physical contact and sight whenever their parents asked one of them where the other was they would immediately turn their head in the direction of their partner. Odd enough in its own right the adults and older children were awed to find out that this ability was utterly infallible. The two simply always knew where the other was.

More surprising still was that the two rarely spoke to each other and yet always seemed to know exactly what the other wanted. If one was cold the other would get them a blanket. If one was thirsty the other would get them a drink. If one was sick the other would stay right beside them until they were better. Even before they could speak this was a common occurrence for the two. Even once they had begun speaking try as they might the adults rarely heard them speak to each other. It was as if speaking was only used for communicating with anyone besides themselves. Almost as if they always knew what the other was thinking. It seemed also that the two always knew what the other was feeling as well. If one was scared or upset the other would hug them until the feeling went away.

As similar as the two children were they had their differences as well. While they still insisted on eating together their tastes were definitely different. TK preferred fruit over vegetables and Kari preferred vegetables over fruit. The only way they would eat what they didn't like was if the other insisted on them eating it and fed it to them. This became such a common occurrence that the two mothers had begun to simply allow them to eat off of one plate at mealtimes. While this resulted in knowing smiles between the parents and overly dramatic gagging from their older brothers the two would merely smile and continue.

As far as dress choices went TK much preferred green and blues over Kari's preference of pink. While they both liked yellow Kari preferred for it to be much more evident in her clothing while TK would only allow it if it was minimal. Despite their similarities their personalities were very different. Kari was the more outspoken one of the two while TK was quieter.

As the two were now old enough to start school both were excited for their first day, which happened to be today. TK and Kari were both very excited they were a little nervous as well. For their parents it was going to be an interesting adjustment. After going to the school and explaining the unusual circumstances about the two children and after a demonstration the school had agreed to place the two in the same class While the principal had been skeptical at first of the supposed bond between the two he had been left speechless at the unusual ability the children had to find each other. He had insisted on a demonstration to prove it. While he stayed with TK and Nancy a kindergarten teacher had taken Kari and Keiko to a room on the other side of the school. He had watched in amazement as TK had walked right to the classroom Kari was in without making one wrong turn or mistake. He simply led them straight to where she was. While the teacher had thought it unusual for two children who weren't siblings or twins to be so close after seeing the children's demonstration she had accepted it and asked that they be placed in her class.

Seeing as the parents had no objections and realizing that this teacher would have a better understanding of the two the principal agreed. As the school was only a short walk from their home the parents had agreed to let the two walk with their older brothers and their friends to school. While Tai and Matt and their friends were older than TK and Kari they all seemed to get along very well. Even if their friends were a little eclectic themselves that was good in some ways.

Joe was the oldest at nine. He was by far the most reliable of the children. It was normal for him to be seen with a book on first aid or medicine. He had made it quite clear that he planned on being a doctor when he grew up. He even went so far as to carry a small first aid kit with him at all times.

The rest of the children were all the same age as Matt and Tai. Mimi was very outspoken and sincere. She was very girly and loved the color pink which she and Kari had quickly bonded over. Izzy was fascinated by anything electronic and was far ahead of his peers when it came to knowledge about computers and most things in general. Much like Joe with medicine Izzy was the group's computer expert. Although at times he would get so absorbed in his computer that Mimi would have to shout to get his attention, which was a little odd in itself as she was the only one he paid attention to when he was like that. Sora was much like Tai in some ways and the two had quickly bonded over their mutual love for soccer. While Tai was loud and outspoken Sora was quieter unless she was mad at Tai. She was much like another mother to the group. She was always there to cheer someone up and was very loving. Matt of course was still obsessed with music and had even started taking guitar lessons. Although he was often quiet he was always willing to help out his friends with anything they needed. All in all it was a good well balanced group and they were all quite close to one another.

As they all lived in the same apartment building it was an everyday thing for them to all walk to school together. As such the addition of TK and Kari was a minor event. Their group simply grew a little larger. As their parents watched the group of kids walk off to school together they had no idea just how important TK and Kari's abilities would become in the next few hours.

**A/N: Alright so I know this chapter is a little short. At least it seems that way to me. Thank you to the three people that have reviewed and a special thank you to LILFOC who pointed out my mistakes with the parent's names and for the two reviews and also for giving me an idea regarding the split between Matt and TK's parents. I was planning on just skipping over that and just keeping them together but now that I have an idea I can work with I'll see if I can make a good chapter or two of it. It'll actually go well with what I'm planning for the next chapter which is half written and will likely be finished tonight. (I can already feel the plot bunnies bouncing around in my head.) **** I do know however that it will not be entirely in canon. I'm intending to use it as more of a bonding point for TK and Kari. Also I'm writing this story from memory of the first season so I know I'm not going to get everything perfect. Feel free to point out any errors I make so that they can be corrected. If anyone knows of a good reference site please put it in a review or a PM. As always please read and review.**


	4. Taken and a Plan

Chapter 4

The man watched from his hiding place as the eight children walked to school together. He was unshaven and dirty with dark haunted eyes. Greasy lank hair framed his face as he watched the children. His eyes lingered on the children before attaching themselves to the youngest pair. He watched with dark desire in his eyes as he found his target in the youngest girl. As the group of older children moved ahead leaving the younger two behind he moved to capture his prey.

He grabbed the girl as he roughly tore the two apart. The boy landed hard on the sidewalk with a cry of pain. At the sound of the boys cry the other group of children turned and seeing what was happening ran toward him hoping to save their friend. The man turned and ran off and jumped into a waiting white van pulling the struggling girl inside with him. The children could do nothing other than watch as the van roared off with their friend inside.

Joe was the first to speak as they watched the van disappear down the street. Being the oldest he had to keep the others from panicking. "We need to get to the school right now and tell them what's happened so they can let your parents know." He said to Tai as the young boy stood staring at the direction the van went with tears in his eyes. All of the children were crying except for TK and Joe. Despite his impact with the sidewalk the little boy was trying to run after the van carrying his friend. Izzy and Mimi were trying to restrain him but the little five year old was making it quite difficult for them. Tai however had other ideas.

"You go ahead and go to the school and let them know Joe. TK and I are going to go get my sister back."

"What?! Are you crazy Tai? We don't even know where they went. How would we even find them and what would we do once we got there?" Matt asked with disbelief.

"Matt is right Tai." Izzy chimed in. "We have no idea how to even find them and besides were just kids. Were better off to go to the school and let our parents handle it."

Both Matt and Izzy were taken aback at Tai's angry reply. "Yeah I know that but it's my sister that he took! I promised my parents I'd take care of her. I have to do something. Besides we may not be able to find her but I know TK can." He said pointing at the young boy.

"What do you mean Tai?" Sora asked. "TK doesn't have any better idea than the rest of us where they went."

Matt answered this time as he and Tai looked at each other and nodded. "That's true but…do you remember that we told you that TK and Kari are special? You already know about their need to be close to each other." Each of the children nodded as they remembered the many times they had all been over to either Tai or Matt's homes. They had all witnessed the strange bond between the two but had thought nothing more of it than simply that the two were very close. While the guys paid little attention to it the girls giggled and smiled each time the two did something they thought was cute. Which was just about all the time, simply watching the two hold hands was enough to bring a smile to the girl's faces.

Matt continued when he saw the other four nod. "Well aside from the obvious things the two always know where the other is. It's almost eerie to be honest. I remember this one time that mom thought she had lost Kari at the mall she was shopping at. That was one of the first times they'd ever been outside each other's sight and TK was still able to find her even though both of them had never been there before. He led mom right to her. Turns out she had been playing with the kittens in the pet store the whole time."

"You know that reminds me of something I read in a medical journal once." Joe began. The others sighed as he slipped into what they called his 'lecture voice'. He continued on ignorant to their sighs. "I read that some twins were like Kari and TK. After I found out about their unusual habits I did some research. It seems that when one of the twins was sick or crying having the other one close by would help calm them and make them feel better. Although the two obviously aren't twins that the closest thing medically that I found that fits them. It's very odd for them to be so close though."

The other children merely stared at Joe as he finished his lecture. Izzy was the first to speak. "Right well supposing that TK can find her how do we go about getting her back?" "Simple we'll rush in there and take them by surprise." Tai answered. "And what happens when they get us too Tai?" Sora asked.

"Oh right…uh I hadn't thought that far ahead yet. How about this then? Joe you go to the school and tell them what happened so they can let our parents know. The rest of us will go with TK and find Kari."

"And how are your parents going to find us once we find Kari? How are we supposed to even know where we are? And what about the police? We're going to need more than just us if this is going to work." Matt said.

"I can use the GPS on my computer to keep track of where we are." Izzy said. "And I can call your parents once we find out where she is and they and the police can come and get Kari." Mimi said holding up her pink cellphone." "That's right." Joe said "they'll probably be with me at the school so you can call my cell and I'll let them know where they are."

"Alright that sounds like a plan. Let's go find Kari." Tai yelled as Izzy and Mimi let TK go and he immediately ran in the direction the van had gone. The rest of the children followed as Joe ran toward the school.

**A/N: Hey. Yes this chapter is short. It's mostly set up for the next one which is a good bit longer. It's already written and I'll be starting on Ch. 6 soon. (Tonight or tomorrow morning but I'll likely write a little of it tonight.) Thank you again to everyone who has reviewed. It's always nice to hear your work is appreciated. **** Thanks to Orion Kuroi for the direction to the Digimon wiki. As a researcher for my day job using Wikipedia is akin to a cardinal sin and something we avoid like the plague so I hadn't even thought of checking there. As always read and review. They really do inspire me to write more. **


	5. Light In the Dark

Chapter 5

Kari looked forlornly at the small window high above the floor as a ray of sunlight fell across her face. The little bit of light was suddenly cut off as the man that had taken her stepped from the shadows and stood in front of her. She shivered and instinctively moved away from the icy cold blade as it gently pressed against her throat. Her sudden movement caused the blade to cut her and she cried out in pain. The man laughed darkly as he watched her bright blood drip from the small wound. She felt the man's cold fingers brush against her neck as he smeared his fingers in her blood. She watched in disgust as he brought it to his mouth. The man breathed deeply, savoring the scent of her fresh blood before licking his hand clean.

She began to shake as she looked at the man's dark eyes as he drank her blood. His eyes flashed red as he licked every last drop of her blood from his hand. She shook harder as the man stroked her cheek almost lovingly with his cold hand. His dark laughter sending chills down her spine as she struggled to free herself from the chair she was tied too.

'His hands are so cold and his eyes are so dark. Not at all like TK's.' As she thought of her constant companion's bright azure eyes and warm hands she felt a small glimmer of hope form in her heart. The light and hope in her heart grew a little brighter as she remembered the promise they had made to each other just one year ago.

_It had been raining that day. It was the Ishida's week to care for the four children. Matt and Tai were at spending the night at Izzy's so it was just her, TK and his mom at home. At least until his dad had come home. She knew from overheard conversations between her parents that Mr. Ishida had been having trouble at work lately. Something about someone at work had done something bad…embe…embess...had stolen a lot of money from the people Mr. Ishida worked for and that they thought it was him. She and TK had noticed too when they had stayed at her house for an extra two weeks. That was really unusual. When she had asked her mom about it she would only tell her that TK's parents were very busy and had left it at that._

_ had come home much later than usual that night, his clothes were wrinkled and he looked like he hadn't slept for a week. Worse yet he smelled bad. The smell burned her nose and made her sick to her stomach. She could smell it from across the room. He had a dark look in his eyes as he looked at the two children who were snuggled up on the couch watching a movie while Mrs. Ishida worked._

_Mrs. Ishida walked into the living room and stopped short as she caught sight of her husband. "You've been out drinking again haven't you?" She said in a quiet voice._

"_So what if I have? It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like I have a job to go to in the morning." Anger grew in his eyes as he caught the look his wife was giving him. "Don't look at me like that! You know it's not my fault! That damned Takeshi was the one who stole all that money and ran off to some island somewhere! It's just my luck that I would get blamed for the mess he made." He yelled._

"_Regardless that doesn't give you leave to come home drunk!" Mrs. Ishida said as she raised her voice. "You have a family to take care of. You should have been out looking for a new job instead of drinking our money away!"_

"_What do you care? All you ever do is sit in front of that computer and type away lost in your own little fantasy world! It's all you care about!" The anger grew in his eyes as his yell grew into a roar._

"_That little fantasy world as you call it is what paid the bills and kept food on the table while you were in school! Without that money we would have starved to death! You wouldn't have a home to come home to!" Mrs. Ishida yelled back, both of them forgetting the two little children in the room._

"_Why would I want to come home to a woman like you!? Your cold and heartless. All you care about is your damned writing!" He screamed._

"_That's not true and you know it! Who was the one who helped you all those times you thought you wouldn't make it through college? Who was the one that kept supporting you when you couldn't find a job? Who was the one that kept the hope alive in this ho__me__ when you would get depressed and drink your sorrows away? Who is the one who is still here even after all of that?" She demanded of him._

"_Who ever said this was my home!" Both the children watched as his head snapped back with the force of the slap Mrs. Ishida dealt him. His face was red as he turned around and walked out without another word.__ Mrs. Ishida collapsed on the floor sobbing as TK and Kari ran over to her._

_TK frowned as he watched the tears stream down her face. She flinched as she felt his small hand on her cheek, gently wiping away her tears._

_"Mom why did dad say this wasn't his home? You always told me that home is where your family is and we're here so why doesn't he want to be here?" his eyes filled with tears as a terrible frightening idea entered his mind. _

_"Dad didn't leave because of me did he?"_

_Hearing her son ask such a terrible question she quickly pulled him into her arms and held him tightly. "No, sweetheart. He didn't leave because of you. Dad is just having some trouble at work right now. He's just stressed and doesn't know what to do."_

_"Are we still a family mom? Cause dad left so does that mean he has another family some where else he'd rather be with?" "Oh sweetheart" Nancy said as she held him tighter. "No honey dad doesn't have another family. He isn't lucky like you and Kari are. Don't worry ok? I'm sure dad will come back. He'll probably be back tomorrow and everything will be alright ok?"_

_TK nodded his head as his mom dried his eyes and then her own before getting up. "Go play with Kari for a little while I call her mom ok? I want you all to spend this week over there so me and dad can talk when he comes back." Nancy said as she turned to walk into her office. She was stopped by TK tugging on her sleeve._

_"What is it sweetheart?" she asked as she knelt down in front of him, his eyes still full of tears._

_"How do you know that dad is going to come back mom? How do you know that everything is going to be alright?" Nancy put on a brave smile as she gave the only answer she could. "I don't know that everything is going to be alright sweetheart, but I do have hope and that hope gives me this little light in my heart that tells me it will. So no matter how dark things may seem where hope is light is there also and as long as you have hope and light everything will be alright, because they will always be there even when everything else is lost in the dark."_

_TK smiled at his mom as she hugged him tightly and walked out of the room. Nancy smiled at the two children as she saw Kari come up and hug TK tightly. She paused a moment in the doorway to her office as she heard the two children speak._

"_Don't worry TK I know everything will be alright." Kari said as she locked her ruby eyes with TK's bright azure ones. "Kari…are you going to leave like dad did?" TK asked as his voice shook with anxiousness. It was at this moment that Nancy truly realized just how close the children were as she heard Kari give her answer._

"_Of course I'm not going to leave you! You're my best friend and I love you! We're going to be together forever." Nancy gasped softly as she heard what Kari had said. Her shock turned into happiness and a soft smile grew on her lips as she heard Kari speak again._

"_Remember what your mom said about Hope and Light? How they're always together no matter what?" TK nodded his head as Kari continued. "Hope and Light are just like us, always together so I'm going to make you a promise and I want you to promise me too. I'll be your Light and you'll be my Hope and we'll always be together no matter how dark it gets. And if one of us gets lost we'll come find each other. We'll always be there for each other. Always and forever."_

_TK smiled and hugged Kari tightly as the two held each other close. "I promise Kari. I'll be your Hope and you'll be my Light and we'll always be together. We'll always come find each other. We'll always be there for each other. Always and forever." The children slowly separated leaving only their hands clasped together and turned to go play. Nancy turned to go into her office and smiled again as she heard TK speak._

"_I love you too Kari. Always and forever."_

"_Always and forever." Kari replied as the two ran off to play with both of them in a much happier mood than before.'_

Nancy had been right too. A couple weeks later TK's parents were back together and his dad had found a better job than the one he had lost. He had even sworn off drinking.

Kari smiled slightly as she remembered the promise she had made with TK. She knew he would come and find her. He would always come and find her just like she would always come and find him. _'TK will come and then everything will be alright cause we'll be together again. He's my Hope and I'm his Light and as long as we're together everything will be alright.'_

She shifted in her chair as the man stared at her as his dark eyes ran over her body. Her bright ruby met his dark ones as she stared directly in his eyes unafraid and waited for her Hope to find her.

**A/N: Haha yes I realize this chapter is about the same length as the last one. At least that's what my word counter is telling me. Although this is a rather important chapter as far as development goes for TK and Kari. As per my usual method Chapter 6 is now finished and Chapter 7 is being planned out in my head. Read and review.**


	6. Follow the Light

Chapter 6

'_I have to find her. Go left, run to the end of this street and take a right then take the second left.' _TK moved as fast as his tired legs could carry him. His breathing was harsh and ragged. He had been running for nearly a mile now and he was starting to tire. He refused to stop though. He had to find her. He'd promised her he would always find her. She was his Light and he was her Hope. He would find her.

He ran on following the direction his heart lead. His breathing grew more ragged and he stumbled as he lost his balance. He threw his hands up in an instinctive attempt to avoid an unpleasant meeting with hard concrete. The impact however never came as he felt someone grab the back of his shirt keeping him upright.

He turned his head to see Matt and Tai holding him up. "Easy there bro. Kari wouldn't be happy if you got hurt looking for her." Matt said as he and Tai let him go as he regained his footing. "Yeah, be more careful TK. I don't want to have to explain to Kari if we show up to save her without you."

TK nodded as he looked at the other children behind them. They were all breathing hard bent over as they tried to catch their breath. Izzy and Mimi were leaning against one another as they took advantage of their unexpected stop to recover. Matt, Tai and Sora were in better shape but they were still breathing hard.

"Alright Tai you were right. Sitting in front of a computer all day is not conducive to one's physical health." Izzy said as he sucked in deep gulps of air. Mimi surprisingly was faring a little better than Izzy. _'Must be all that shopping she does._' TK thought as he turned to begin running again only to be stopped by Tai's hand on his shoulder.

"Easy TK. Like I said I don't want to have to explain to Kari why you're not with us when we get her. Besides if you kill yourself before getting there you won't be any good to anyone." Tai said.

"Hey what are you doing?" He asked as he was pulled forcibly onto Matt's back. "What does it look like I'm doing bro? Tai may have ridiculous hair but he's right. Kari wouldn't like it if you finally found her and then died from exhaustion. Besides we're your friends. We want to get Kari back just as much as you do. We'll help you out however we can." Matt said as he settled TK onto his back and the group began running again.

TK smiled as he looked around at his friends. His blue eyes lit up with renewed determination as he realized that he wasn't alone. He may have made the promise to Kari but his friends were going to help him keep it.

"Hey TK where do we go next? We won't find Kari if you don't tell us where to go." Tai said from the front as he lead the kids on their chase.

"Take the next left and go five more blocks in that direction." He answered. "Right got it. Let's go guys." Tai yelled as he and the others picked up their pace. From his position on Matt's back TK watched as the area they were in became unfamiliar. The area they were in was a part of town that none of the children had ever been to. It was an old industrial district long since abandoned. The abandoned warehouses were dark and cold looking. No one was around, making it the perfect place to hide someone.

"Take a right up here." He said as they were at the last block. They turned the corner and came in sight of an old warehouse. "There, she's in that one." TK said as he pointed towards it. He shuddered slightly as he felt the darkness inside it. _'I know Kari is in there.' _This particular one looked to be in the worst shape. A large hole was in one side of the roof and the entire right side wall looked like it was ready to collapse.

"Alright guys we need to decide what to do next. We can hide over there in those bushes while we rest a bit and plan." Tai said as he lead the others over to the small clump of greenery. "Alright I am definitely going to spend less time on the computer and more time outside running around." Izzy said as he sat down and began typing away on his computer to get their location. "Oh good, that means you and I can go shopping together!" Mimi said as she sat next to him and leaned against him, her bright pink cellphone in hand ready to call Joe and give him their location so he could bring their parents and the police. "Uh I'm not sure shopping counts as exercise Mimi." Izzy said as he rapidly typed away.

"It is when you do it with Mimi." Sora said with a laugh "I've watched her run both her parents and mine ragged and still want to shop some more."

Tai and Sora stood next to each other as they looked at the others. "Alright now how do we get in there and once we do how do we get to Kari and get her out of there?" Tai said as he looked the place over searching with his mini telescope looking for a place they could get in.

Matt put TK down and sat down on the ground trying to catch his breath. The two brothers were both exhausted but you could see the determination in their eyes. Even as tired as they were they were willing to go in there right now if they had too. _'Besides TK would run in there alone if he had too. Kari might be a Kamiya but I'm sure she's TK's more than anyone else will ever be. And he is just as much hers._' Matt thought as he looked at his brother.

"It's going to take me about fifteen minutes to get our location Tai. My connection is really slow here. I think all the metal is interfering with my satellite uplink." Izzy said as he reported his findings to Tai.

"Alright so we have at least that long to find out how to get in and get out with Kari." Tai answered. TK looked at the warehouse where she was being kept as he began thinking of a plan.

"Why don't we see if we can get a better look at the place first? See if there are any openings or windows we can get in." He suggested. "That's a good idea actually." Izzy said. "That way we have more of an idea of what we're walking into. We already know that there are at least two people in there, the one that took Kari and his driver. There could be more people in there that we don't know about."

"Do you think we should wait for the police to get here then?" Sora asked. "Tai she's our sister you decide." To the surprise of everyone there Tai shook his head. "No, TK is the one that should decide. I may be her brother but TK is much closer to her than I am. He'll know better than anyone if something has happened to her."

"You know you still haven't explained how TK was able to find her and I for one would like to know how he knows where she is. And how are you going to know how she is when you aren't with her?" Izzy said as he paused in his typing for a moment to look at TK.

TK just shook his head as he spoke slowly in a quiet voice. "I just followed the light. I don't know why it's there or how I can see it but I know that the light always leads to Kari. I just follow the pink light. As for the rest…I just know. I don't know how to explain it."

The other children looked awed at his explanation. "Oh that's so cute!" Mimi squealed "I wish I had a pink light that told everyone where I was. Then my parents would stop making me stay with them when we go shopping." The group laughed at Mimi's inherent fondness for the color pink and her love of shopping. _'Such a typical Mimi thing for her to say.'_ TK thought as he looked at her with a smile. Still her words had effectively brightened the mood a little.

"And what about Kari?" Izzy asked his natural curiosity starting to take over. "How does she always seem to be able to find you?"

"I asked her once and she told me that she sees the light too. Except mine is bright gold while hers is pink." TK said starting to feel uncomfortable with Izzy's questioning. "Easy on the questions Izzy." Mimi said as she noticed TK's discomfort. "He and Kari aren't much on talking about how close they are. It's very personal to them."

Izzy looked at her as he replied. "How do you know that?" It was Sora who answered. "Well you know how you only feel comfortable talking to your parents about somethings? Well TK and Kari really only feel comfortable talking to each other about it. I mean they don't even talk to Matt and Tai about it. Right TK?"

TK nodded his head as he shot a grateful look to the two girls who simply smiled back in reply. "Right this is the first time we've ever head either of them say anything about it." Matt said.

"Ah I'm sorry TK I didn't mean to ask you something so personal." Izzy said.

"It's alright Izzy we were actually planning on talking to our parents about it when we got home from school today. We don't know why it's happening either and we thought they might have some idea. I mean you guys don't see any lights when you're looking for each other right?" TK asked.

The group shook their heads as they looked back at him. "Alright now that we all have a little more information on Kari and TK let's take a look around and see if we can find a way inside. Izzy and Mimi you two stay here and wait for us to get back. As soon as you have our location call Joe. Sora and I will go to the left and check over there. Matt and TK I want you two to go over to the right and take a look."

"Oh don't forget to look for windows close to the ground where we might be able to get in. Most warehouses like this have underground storage. There are small windows close to the ground to give a little light down there. We might be able to get in without being seen. They might even have Kari down there." Izzy said as the two groups ran off before returning his attention to his computer.

'_Ten more minutes until I can get our location and then probably another ten before the police and our parents will get here. So that gives us twenty minutes to plan.'_ Izzy thought as he looked at the clock on his computer. _'It's already been nearly two hours since Kari was taken. For TK's sake I hope she's alright.'_

**A/N: Alright here is Ch. 6. My apologies for the mix up with the chapter titles. I was thinking of this one when I posted it. :P It's my weekend now so I have the next two days to write as much as possible so ideally I'll get quite a bit done. Thank you to LILFOC for reviewing every chapter so far. Miharuofthewhitesea for your enthusiastic reviews, the-writing-vampire you'll get your answers as the story goes along. You'll just have to be patient and wait. Together-again, Josephine thank you for your encouragement. To all of you please keep reading and reviewing. **


	7. Rescuing Light

Chapter 7

Joe paced anxiously as he waited in the office at the school. '_It's been nearly two hours since they went after Kari. I wonder why they haven't called yet. Are they still looking for her or did something happen to them? If something did I should be there, I'm the only one that knows any sort of first aid. But I can't go after them if I don't know where they are. I have to stay here and wait for Mimi to call so we can all go and get them.'_

Joe looked around at the administrative offices in the school. Since he had gotten here it had been a hive of activity. He had gone straight to the principal and explained what had happened. The police and the children's parents had immediately been called. The Kamiya's had arrived first, followed by the Ishidas. The Tachikawa's and Izumi's had followed and finally his parents had arrived from the hospital. The police had arrived shortly after the Kamiya's and Ishida's had. They had interviewed both sets of parents and Joe as he was the only witness currently available. While he had done his best to describe as much as he could the police still did not have much to go on. A man in a nondescript white van was hard to find.

Adding to the worry of the police and parents was the fact that the rest of the children had run off after Kari. Now they had not just one but seven children to worry about. With nearly no knowledge of the situation the children were walking into the police and parents had little choice but to hope that the children would call quickly. While Mimi's parents had tried to call her repeatedly in the past two hours they had received no answer and were rightfully worried.

Her mother was decidedly frantic but had calmed quickly due to her husband's calm ministrations. In an unusual contrast the Kamiya's and Ishida's were unusually calm, although their eyes were red and swollen from crying. While the police had many patrols out searching for the children they had yet to find them. Well half of the Ishida's were calm anyway.

"Why are you all just standing around? My sons and his friends are out there hunting the man that took their friend and you useless cops are just standing around!" Mr. Ishida had stopped weeping and started yelling. From his point of view the children were doing a far better job than the police were at finding the children.

"Ease up Hiroki. They're doing the best they can. We have no idea where the children went and you yelling isn't going to help anything." Mr. Kamiya said in an attempt to calm his friend. "If anyone should be yelling it should be me. My daughter is the one that's missing." He said reasonably. "The only reason I'm not is because I know your son is going to find my daughter. Have a little faith in your youngest Hiroki."

Mr. Ishida opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the unexpected noise of a phone ringing. Joe jumped as he quickly scrambled for his phone.

"Mimi? Have you all found out where Kari is?"

"Great! Where is she? Right I'll be there with the police and our parents as soon as I can. Hang on…what do you mean you're going in there?!"

The parents and police watched anxiously as Joe continued to argue with Mimi before finally hanging up. He looked around as he relayed what Mimi had told him. "They've found her but Mimi says they can't wait for us to get there."

"Finish telling us on the way Joe. We need to get going right now." The police detective interrupted. "Just tell us where they are."

"Right Izzy said they were at an old warehouse in the Industrial District."

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

"Right what did you find?" Tai asked as they regrouped in the cluster of bushes. "Did either of you find a way inside. "All the doors were boarded up but we did manage to find a few windows that we could get into. They're small but we should be able to get inside without any trouble although it's going to be really dark down there. We just need to figure out where Kari is once we get inside." Matt said

"Alright then now that we have a way inside does anyone have a way we'll be able to see down there?" Tai asked "Well I have this small flashlight that my parents gave me for emergencies. Izzy do you have the one I gave you?" Mimi said as she pulled a pink flashlight out of her backpack.

"Mimi do you own anything that isn't some shade of pink? And yes I do." Izzy said as he continued typing away on his computer. "Well why would I want something that wasn't pink? Besides the one I gave you was pink too and you don't seem to mind." Mimi said innocently as the group looked on in disbelief. "Uh guys now is not the time. You two can chat about Mimi's color choices later. Right now we need to get to Kari." Sora said

"Right sorry." The two apologized and Izzy quickly returned to typing away on his computer. "Ok we have a way in and a way to see-" Tai began before he was interrupted by Izzy.

"Prodigious! I managed to find a copy of the blue prints for this warehouse. We can use that to find out where we are once were inside."

"Excellent Izzy! This is perfect. Let's go find Kari!" Tai shouted as he started to run off toward the warehouse. "Hang on a minute Tai. I wasn't finished. From what I can tell the upper level of the warehouse was used for manufacturing and the lower level was used to store the product."

"What are you saying Izzy?" Tai asked. "I'm saying that we should only need to search the lower level. This should really help us find Kari quicker and keep us from wasting time." Izzy explained as he quickly typed away on his computer before tucking it safely into his backpack. "Can I see your phone for a minute Mimi?"

"Sure but what for Izzy?" Mimi asked as she handed her phone to him. "I emailed the blueprints of the lower floor to your phone. If I modify the program on your phone I should be able to use it to track our location once were inside. Once we find Kari I'll email Joe out location so he can find us once the police and our parents get here."

"Alright let's go-"

"Hang on Tai!" Sora said as she smacked him on the shoulder. "You're forgetting that Mimi needs to call Joe so we can let them know where we are. And didn't you say TK was the one who was going to decide if we were going to go in there or not?"

"Uh right. Sorry I forgot." Tai said as he rubbed his arm. "Mimi call Joe and tell him where we are. TK are we going to go in there or are we going to wait?"

The children watched as TK closed his eyes for a moment. His voice trembled but his eyes were bright and determined when they opened. "We need to go in there and get her right now." Mimi nodded as she took her phone back from Izzy and quickly called Joe as the children ran toward the warehouse determined to save their friend.

The children slipped into the small window on the right side of the building. The room they dropped into was dark except for the small amount of light coming in from the window. "Luckily for us were small enough to fit in the window. The police and our parents will have to find another way in." Izzy whispered as he entered last and turned on his flashlight. The small but bright beam of light cast eerie shadows in the dark, dusty room. "Oh look at this place it's a mess. Doesn't anyone ever come and clean this place?" Mimi said as she too turned on her flashlight.

"Now is not the time Mimi." Sora gently reminded her. "We're here to find Kari. Worry about the lack of housekeeping later. TK can you lead us to where Kari is?" the redhead asked as she turned to face him.

"Yeah I just hope she's alright." He said as he absentmindedly rubbed at his neck. "Are you alright TK?" Sora asked in a concerned voice. "Don't worry I'm fine. We just need to find Kari and get out of here."

"Agreed." The group replied as they headed out of the room with TK in the lead. Tai was right beside him holding Izzy's flashlight while the computer genius used Mimi's phone to track their location. Mimi and Sora were in the middle of the group with Matt bringing up the rear with Mimi's flashlight in hand.

As the group moved through the warehouse they stuck closely together. Despite the two small lights and the fact that TK was leading them straight to Kari the darkness in the warehouse was still scary. As they walked the group could hear the noises of small animals running around. "Those are probably rats." Izzy whispered. "They tend to like to make their homes in abandoned places like these."

"Thanks for that encouraging bit of information Izzy." Matt remarked from the back. "Isn't it better to know that it's just rats than someone looking for us in here?" Izzy replied. Matt was silent as they were reminded of the dangerous situation they were in. TK stopped suddenly when they came to a room on the left side of the warehouse. Unlike the other rooms the door to this one was closed. As they walked up to the door the children could hear the voices of two men that seemed to be arguing with one another.

"Come on now just let me rough her up a bit. I just want a little drink and her blood smells so delicious." A rough voice said in an almost pleading tone. "I told you no. My client specifically requested that she be in unharmed." A smooth silky voice replied. "But you got to ta-" the rough voiced reply was cut off by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.

Tai tried to open the door quietly but stumbled and fell into the room when TK pushed past him into the room. "Don't bother hiding. He already knows we're here. Don't you?" TK said his voice wavering slightly but determined. The man turned to face the children as they ran into the room. They could see past him to Kari who was bound to a chair in the middle of the room behind him. A small ray of light from the small window high on the wall illuminated the man just enough for the children to see him.

"Ah yes I was wondering when you would show." The man was tall and slender, pale skinned with dark blonde hair, he smiled at the children as he spoke revealing a pair of sharp fangs. His eyes however were what drew the children's attention. They were dark red, the color of dried blood. Azure met dark red as TK stared at the man with calm resolve in his eyes.

"TK!" Kari cried out as she heard his voice. His azure eyes broke from the dark red of the man standing before him to meet with Kari's own warm ruby. When he spoke there was no hesitation or fear in his voice. "Don't worry Kari. We're going to get you out of here and we'll all go home."

"HAHAHAHA! You really think you're going to get out of here alive boy?" The man laughed as he heard TK's brave words. "I know we are. You are not going to stop us." "Oh really and what do you think you children can do about it even if there are six of you?"

"Seven of us you mean." Joe said as he stepped into the room. "With the police and our parents right behind us. They should be here in a few minutes. I managed to slip in through one of the windows but they're going to have to break one of the doors down to get in." He whispered this last part to the group as the man laughed a high cold laugh his eyes moved to rest on Joe. "Do you really think that even the eight of you together could take me on and win? I'm feeling generous today since my plan is working so well I'll even free your little friend here to give you a better chance."

"What do you mean by plan? Kidnapping Kari was the plan wasn't it?" Mimi asked. "Ah you see my dear that is where you are wrong. She was just the bait." He said as he cut Kari loose. Mimi bristled at the thought of this man referring to her as 'his dear' and let him know it. "Hey where do you get off calling me something like that?! Even if I was old enough to date you I never would. You may sound like you're a charmer with that voice of yours but you're not! Besides I prefer redheads anyway!" Kari quickly ran over to TK and hugged him tightly as Mimi gave the man a piece of her mind as the rest of the group looked on in disbelief at Mimi's outburst. "I knew you would come and save me." Kari cried as she cried onto his shoulder.

"Of course I did. Always and forever remember?" TK said as he hugged her just as tightly. "Ah young love how touching. Sadly your little love story is going to be cut short. Take them now!" the man yelled as the door slammed shut behind the children. Dark shadows grabbed each of the children and pulled them apart. They fought as hard as they could but could not stand up to the strength of the dark beings.

"What the heck are these things?" Tai yelled as he struggled in vain against the shadow that held him captive. "These shadows are my assistants courtesy of the client that hired me for this job. He wanted me to capture each of you and I figured the best way to do that would be to lure you all here."

"What do you mean your client?" Matt yelled as he fought against his own captor. "AH\h you see that is privileged information. Suffice it to say that he doesn't want you children getting in his way when he puts his plan into motion. Ah yes but I am forgetting something aren't I as the shadows looked hungrily at the body of the man who had taken Kari. Yes very well go ahead and take your reward."

The children watched in horror as a thin tendril of darkness reached from each shadow to the body of the man. As the tendrils touched the body it was consumed by shadow and when the shadows receded the body was gone.

"D-d-did they just eat him?" Sora yelled in shock as she went limp in her shadows hands. "You are correct my dear. You see while I feed off the blood of humans these delightful creatures feed on their flesh. You see we really are the perfect combination. I'll drain you and they will dispose of your bodies and no one will ever know what happened to you." He turned to Joe as he laughed evilly. "Oh and don't bother wishing for your parents to come save you. They won't be able to find this room much less find you."

Hearing this the rest of the children ceased their struggling against the shadows that held them captive. All except for TK, and Kari, the two continued to struggle but to no avail. "Yes I think I should deal with you two first since you seem so eager to die."

"NO!" TK yelled as he continued to struggle. "I won't let you touch her again! You'll never hurt her or anyone else again! I won't let hurt my Light again!" With those words the Crest of Hope began to shine brightly on his right hand. The shadows recoiled in fear from the bright golden light that shone from his right hand. The shadow that was holding him was burned away by the bright light. TK ran for Kari as the shadows hands fell from him.

Kari and the rest of the children looked on in as the bright light shone forth in the dark room. _'That's right, he is my Hope and I am his Light and as long as we are together everything will be alright.' _The Crest of Light began to shine at her thought. Its soft pink light shone brightly as it mixed with the gold of TK's as her shadow too was burned away.

Tai watched on as the light from the two children's crests burned away the shadows holding them. He watched in horror as he saw the man lunge toward TK and Kari in an attempt to kill them. A dark red blade had appeared in his hand as the man rushed forward. _'No! I refuse to let this happen. That's my sister and I won't let him hurt her!' _Tai thought as he felt his chest grow hot. As he looked at his chest he was shocked to see a strange symbol there. As his heart grew hotter he heard a strangely familiar voice.

"Pepper Breath!" Agumon yelled as he appeared out of the light emanating from the mark on Tai's hand. The fireball caught the man unaware and knocked him away from his intended target. However this left Tai vulnerable and the shadow holding him raised its black blade to slit his throat.

Sora watched on in horror as she saw the shadow holding Tai raise its blade to kill him. _'No. Not him. Not my best friend. I won't let you.' _She thought as her chest began to burn. As she looked down at her chest she was awed to see her own mark burning brightly right where her heart was.

"Spiral Twister!" Biyomon yelled as she appeared from the light. Tai was released from the shadows grasp as the green twister pushed the shadow away. He rushed toward Sora he saw another fireball come from that strange lizard that had appeared from his crest. The fireball once again burned away the shadow that held Sora captive.

"Blue Blaster!" Tai and Sora turned as they saw the shadow that had held Tai literally freeze and shatter as it hit the ground. The beam had come from yet another creature covered in blue fur. Matt moved toward them as they turned to see him with his own mark shining brightly on his right forearm.

" Electro Shocker!" "Poison Ivy!" The three looked on as they saw two more of the strange creatures appear from the marks on Izzy and Mimi's left hands. The strange flying beetle like creature had had used some sort of electricity to fry the shadow holding onto Izzy. The shadow had caught fire and ran straight into the one holding Mimi. A plant like creature used its long vines to pull Mimi away from the burning shadows. One last Pepper Breathe from Agumon burned away the shadow holding Joe as a seal like creature rammed it from the side pushing it directly in the path of the fire ball.

The six children turned toward the sound of TK's yell as they saw the man slash him across the chest. As the man raised his blade for the killing stroke Kari and TK both cried out. Kari jumped in front of the blade as it fell and the children all closed their eyes tightly as they waited for the sound of the blade cutting through her flesh.

The sound never came. The lights shining from TK and Kari's hand grew brighter and the sound of clashing metal was heard. When the children opened their eyes they saw to beings that could only be described as angels standing over the two children their own white blades held in their hands keeping the man from delivering the final blow. The angels twisted and forced the man's blade upward as their own slashed across his chest.

He cried out as the blades bit deeply into his chest, yet no blood flowed from the wounds. 'Agh…It seems that I am over matched. You may have won this battle but I swear to you I will come for you again and I will not fail." The man disappeared in a fog of darkness as the children and the strange looking creatures that had protected them rushed over to TK and Kari. Joe immediately got out his first aid kit and went to work on tending to TK. Kari knelt beside him and held his right hand tightly in her own. To the surprise of all of the children when Kari held TK's hand his wound began to heal. Joe watched in awe as the flesh knit together and the wound sealed itself leaving only a thin scar as evidence of the wound.

The group breathed a sigh of relief as they watched the wound heal. Tai turned to the creatures that had protected them and asked the questions they had all been wondering. "What are you, who was that man, how did you find us, and what in the world are these marks on us?"

**A/N: Here is chapter 7. It's quite a bit longer than the previous ones. I really wanted to get through this and get to the next chapter which will explain things to some small degree and help move the story along. As always read and review. Oh and Miharu I have never seen someone review with so much enthusiasm. It is greatly appreciated. **


	8. Aftermath

**Chapter 8**

"Calm yourself Courage. All will be answered in due time." The deep echoing voice of MagnaAngemon rang out in the confines of the room. "Time is short and for now the most we are able to tell you is this. The man that lured you all here sought to destroy you. You eight are the greatest threat to him and his master's plans. They seek to rule over this world and ours. In three years you will be drawn into our world to protect it. We seek to protect it and we will need you beside us."

"What do you mean? Why are we so important? What are you anyway?" Sora asked as Biyomon nuzzled her hand. She absentmindedly rubbed her head as Angewomon answered. Her soothing melodious voice served to calm the children. "We are called Digimon. Our world exists parallel to yours, like two sides of the same coin. Where you children are made of flesh and blood we are made of data. You Chosen Children are special because of what you allow us to do. Each of your partners you see here are meant to watch over you. The form they take now is a rookie stage. My partner and myself are at the ultimate stage. The form we take and the power given to us are taken directly from the level of danger our partners-you-are in. Also more energy is required to maintain these forms. When the shadows sought to do you harm your Crests activated and summoned us here. Since the shadows were a relatively minor threat in comparison to what Takeru and Hikari faced your partners presented in their rookie forms. While not nearly as powerful as their higher level forms they were more than adequate to protect you. The man that drew you here is a Digimon named Myotismon, he and his master seek to rule over both worlds."

"So we make you more powerful? And if you're not made of flesh and blood like we are what happens when you get hurt? Do you need to eat? What do you eat? More importantly if you're made of data how do affect things in our world?" Izzy asked his natural curiosity shining through in the barrage of questions. "Calm down now Knowledge. Remember like my friends here said we don't have time to answer all your questions. Just remember that in three years time you will be drawn into our world to protect it. We of course will be right beside you every step of the way." The beetle like Digimon said "And we have names you know, mine happens to be Tentomon."

"That's right, I'm Agumon." The small orange lizard said as he stood next to Tai. "And I'm Biyomon." The pink bird Digimon chirped happily as she rubbed her head against Sora's shoulder. "I'm Palmon. Your dress looks lovely. I love the color pink." The plant like digimon said as she looked up at Mimi. "And I'm Gomamon." A small white and purple seal like creature said from next to Joe.

The children looked to the two Digimon standing next to TK and Kari. "And what do we call the two of you?" Sora asked "I am Angewomon and my partner is called MagnaAngemon. This is our ultimate form, our rookie forms look quite…different from the way we do now. But there is no time for that now. Time is running short and your parents will soon be here. Before we leave we have something to give each of you." Angewoman said as she held up a small grey device. "These are called digivices, they will give you some protection against Myotismon and his master. Please keep them with you always. They are not something that is easily replaced if lost or taken from you."

"So as long as we have these we'll be able to find each other? Prodigious!" Izzy said as he examined his device with his usual fervor for all things electronic. "Keep them with you always." MagnaAngemon said. "They are not something easily replaced if lost. The protection they give you will only work if you have them with you. The more you are together as a group the stronger the protection will grow."

"Being able to find each other…is that anything like the bond that Kari and I have? Will we be able to see a light that leads us to the others?" MagnaAngemon knelt down as he answered looking TK directly in the eyes. "No Hope, the bond between Light and yourself is separate. It is something that only the two of you will share. Although a few of the others are capable of forming a similar bond, it will be a long time before it manifests in them."

TK nodded as Joe asked another question that had been on all their minds. "Why do you call us Hope or Knowledge or Courage instead of our real names?"

Angewoman paused a moment before answering. "We call you by those names because they reflect the Crests you bear. The Crests are a manifestation of your greatest attributes. Your Digimon partners are reflective of those attributes as well. Agumon for example is a brave as you are Tai, if a little more likely to be cautious when walking into an unknown situation."

"That sounds like Tai alright! He kept wanting to rush in here and just take Kari back." Sora said as she continued idly scratching Biyomon. The two groups smiled as Tai and Agumon blushed a fiery shade of red. "Time is almost up and we must return to our world soon. One last piece of information before we leave however, the digivices will also act as a communication device between you and your Digimon partner. There is not time to say more but for now be patient and you will understand what I mean when you go to sleep tonight." Angewomon said as the group heard the pounding of feet on the other side of the door.

The children covered their eyes as the group of Digimon disappeared in a flash of white light. When the spots had cleared from their eyes they saw their parents rushing towards them.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

The calm, clear night was a stark contrast to the events of the day. TK and Kari sat on the small balcony outside their room as they looked up at the stars and silver half moon shining in the night sky. The two were huddled closely together right hands tightly clasped together lost in their own little world. If one was determined to eavesdrop they would have been disappointed. Like always it seemed the two were speaking in a way that only they understood.

After their parents had burst into the room where Kari had been held the children had immediately been checked out by Joe's parents. Much like Joe the two were always prepared for any sort of emergency and it was easy to see where Joe had gotten his greatest attribute from. While examining TK both doctors noted the tear in his shirt but seeing no wound simply assumed that it had torn when the children slipped in through the window. The children themselves did nothing to dissuade them. By unspoken agreement the true story of what had happened that day was kept a secret from all adults present.

Despite the questions from the police the children had only said that they had found Kari tied up and alone in the dark room, they had described the man that had held her captive but knew the police would never find him. After all he was not a man, but a Digimon.

The children had been separated and taken home by their parents immediately after the police were done questioning them. Each of them had spent the rest of the day at home. Separated as they were it had been difficult for them to talk about the events that had transpired. Tai, Matt, TK, and Kari had been quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Kari and TK had been unusually quiet and had not separated for longer than a few minutes at a time. Whenever they had been separated their eyes followed their partner until they returned to their side.

Izzy and Mimi on the other hand had been able to keep up some communication through email. Contrary to popular belief Mimi was far from a stereotypical blonde. Being friends with Izzy had the added effect of picking up at least some knowledge relating to computer's, Mimi for her part had picked up on the knowledge quite quickly. Besides shopping online was almost as fun as shopping at the mall and you didn't have to deal with sore, achy feet at the end of the day.

Sora and Joe weren't so fortunate. Their parents being somewhat over protective compared to the others they had spent the remainder of the day with their families unable to get even a moment to try and contact the other children.

As TK and Kari looked up at the stars the two shivered and unconsciously moved closer to one another. TK wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap, her back pressed against his chest and their hands intertwined resting on her stomach. While it might look odd to most outside of their group for the two it was commonplace for them to hold each other in such a way.

"Thank you." Kari softly said as the two held each other. "For what?" TK asked confusion in his eyes. "For keeping your promise."

TK smiled at her as he replied. "What did you expect me to do? I'm not going to leave you there. Promise or not I would have come after you anyway. Even if it was just me coming for you. I care about you too much to let anything happen to you." Kari simply smiled in reply and kissed him softly on the cheek before yawning. As the pair got up and walked to their beds Kari squeezed his hand tightly a small blush coloring her face.

"TK do you mind holding me while we sleep tonight?" She nervously asked as the two stared at each other. TK nodded as the two climbed into Kari's bed. While sleeping together was common for the two this was the first time that either had asked to be held. The two held each other tightly as they drifted into sleep, secure in the knowledge that their Hope and Light would be there when they awoke.

**A/N: In case you can't tell by the delay I struggled a good bit with this chapter. It took me for days to write the first part and less than an hour to write the second. As it is I'm not very happy with it but it needs to be posted so I can move on with the story. Add in the fact that I haven't had much time to write this week as my schedule has been crazy. Question for all my reviewers out there…all six of you. **** I know most of you are writers in your own right so do you all have any sort of routine that you try and keep up with or do you just write when inspiration hits you? I try to write for at least an hour a day, and while I have no plans to write professionally I do find it relaxing even if I have trouble at times with what to write. As always read and review. Oh and for LILFOC….just because you're young in years doesn't mean you're a child. I'll let you have fun trying to figure that out. May it keep you awake at night for the next week. ;)**


	9. Dream and Preparations

**Chapter 9**

TK shifted comfortably in his sleep, the warm, comforting feeling of Kari held in his arms. His dreams this night however would be vastly different from any he had experienced before. He opened his azure eyes to find himself looking into the peaceful sleeping face of Kari. The room however was not what he was used too.

His azure eyes swept over the room unconsciously searching for anything that might want to do them harm. Seeing only the expanse of the white room, the bed they were laying in and a small table next to the bed that held only their digivices, and no one besides himself and Kari he decided to wake her.

"Mmm…what is it TK?" Kari said sleepily as TK gently shook her awake. She woke up rather quickly as she too looked around the room and its unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we TK?" He had no answer for her as they held tightly to one another's hands.

Kari's crimson eyes brightened as a memory from earlier that day drifted through her mind as her eyes caught sight of their digivices. "TK do you remember what Angewomon said earlier, about our digivices being a way to communicate with them? Maybe if we use them to call them they will come and perhaps they'll be able to explain things to us."

"Alright but how do we use our digivices to call them?" TK wondered as the two of them picked up their digivices and held them in their right hands. "Maybe we just try and call them?" Kari suggested. TK nodded his assent to the idea. "Right, we don't have much else to go on right now anyway."

As the two called out the names of their Digimon partners the Crests on their hands and their digivices began to glow with a pale pink and gold light. The light swirled and mixed together growing brighter and stronger. When the light cleared MagnaAngemon and Angewomon were standing before them.

"Hello again children." Angewomon said in way of greeting. "We are glad to see you again. We know you have many questions that we did not have time to answer before and there is much we must teach you."

TK and Kari looked at one another for a moment before asking the first of their many questions. "Where are we?" TK asked. "You are in the heart of your soul children. At this moment your bodies and minds are resting from the events of the day. Your souls unlike your bodies and minds are eternal. They do not need rest or food or any of the things that are required for your bodies to survive."

"Why are we together than? Shouldn't we be by ourselves?" Angewomon smiled at the question Kari posed. "Normally this would be true. The other children are experiencing a similar meeting with their own Digimon partners. They are doing this alone with their partners. The two of you are special however. Your bond allows you to share this experience."

"Is our bond because of our Crests? Or is it something separate?" TK asked. "MagnaAngemon answered, his voice echoing through the room. "Your Crests and your bond are separate. While the bond serves to strengthen the Crests you bear, the end result would have been the same. It would have simply taken longer to develop. As I said before four of the others are capable of forming a similar bond but it will be a few years before it develops, even then the bond will develop slowly."

"Which ones are capable of developing a bond like ours? Does our bond have a name? Why is it different from the others?" Kari asked. The two angels smiled at one another before Angewomon answered. "Your souls are bound one to another, as such you may call it a soul bond even though there is no true name for it. As for the others they will be bound by their hearts…Love without the Courage to speak it will never develop, Courage without love lacks a reason to fight, Knowledge without the Sincerity to use it for the good of others becomes twisted, Sincerity without the Knowledge to use it properly serves only to isolate those who bear it. Your bond is still developing and it will be some time before its true power manifests. It will grow stronger as the years pass. We will teach you as much as we are able to about it, but some things you are meant to discover on your own. When you discover something that we have not explained, you may come to us and we will explain it. For now we will explain what we can. Tell us what you have already discovered and we will teach you what we can."

"We can find each other no matter where we are, if I'm looking for Kari I see a pink light and she sees a gold one when she looks for me." TK began. "And we can always tell what each other is feeling. Like when one of us is sick or hurt, or when were happy or sad." Kari ended. The two looked at each other is surprise. "Did you just…." They both began before looking at the two Digimon who were smiling in amusement.

"Before we explain what just happened let's make ourselves more comfortable. This explanation is going to take some time." MagnaAngemon said as two children sat on the bed. They watched in curiosity as the two angel Digimon removed their helmets revealing matching azure eyes and bright blonde hair. MagnaAngemon glowed brightly as his form shifted to that of Angemon. With his hands now free from the confines of his armor Angewomon immediately took his left hand in her own and wrapped his arms around her waist, mirroring the position the children were in. The two smiled softly at each other before beginning their explanation.

"What you just experienced is a result of what happened today. Any time the two of you experience any sort of dangerous situation your bond strengthens faster. What you felt was the next step in your bond, while you can already tell what each other is feeling you are starting to be able to tell what the other is thinking. The way your souls are bonded also bonds your hearts and mind's, this is why you're able to tell what the other is thinking. You may separate your minds if you choose allowing you a measure of privacy but the connection will still be there. For now the connection will be relatively weak and only viable over short distances but as the bond grows stronger the distance will increase."

"How do the two of you know so much about our bond?" TK asked as he idly rubbed Kari's hands with his thumbs as Kari played with his hands. "Because we are bonded in the same way." Angewomon said "Remember when we said that your Digimon partners are reflective of your greatest qualities? For the two of you it is slightly different. While we do reflect your greatest qualities we also reflect the true form of your souls. The other Digimon are not reflective of their partner's souls, although they do reflect the power they bear."

"So we'll look like you one day?" Kari asked as she looked at Angewomon's shapely form with a slight blush on her cheeks, her eyes traveled from her then to TK where her blush deepened. TK blushed bright red as he caught the end of her trailing thoughts.

'I wonder if TK would like it if I looked like Angewomon…'

Angewomon smiled in amusement as she answered. "You will not look exactly like us, little one. As you grow older your bodies will come to reflect more closely the true form of your souls, however your hair and eyes will not change color. Your souls are much older than your bodies and it will take time for them to grow into your souls. If you take a look in the mirror behind you, you will understand what I mean."

TK and Kari turned and looked at the mirror that had appeared behind them and were shocked at what they saw. They were both much taller, matching the height of their Digimon partners. TK's dark blonde hair had lightened somewhat and was messily arranged. His body was slender but lean muscle made itself evident as he moved in front of the mirror. His bright azure eyes had grown even brighter and shone with the hope he carried.

Kari gasped in awe as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Tall and slender she came up just to TK's shoulder. Like TK long, lean muscle was evident as she moved in front of the mirror, even with the simple white robe she wore her shapely curves were clearly evident. Her chestnut hair flowed down to her shapely hips and her bright ruby eyes shone with the light she carried.

As the pair turned to look at one another they caught their first glimpse of each other's true appearance. The two slowly moved closer to each other and it was Kari's turn to blush as she caught TK's thoughts this time.

'She's beautiful…much more beautiful than Angewomon.'

Azure met ruby as the two locked eyes and drew closer to one another. TK unconsciously wrapped his arms around Kari's waist as she gently traced her fingertips across his face.

'You're not too bad looking yourself.' Kari teased as she looked at TK and smiled. He chuckled as he rested his forehead against hers. At the sound of movement the two turned to see their Digimon partners standing next to them smiling brightly. "Do you like how you look?" Angewomon asked in a teasing tone as the two blushed and separated leaving only their hands intertwined.

"What you see in the mirror is the appearance of your souls. Regardless of how your minds or bodies are your souls will always look the same." Angemon said. "Why couldn't we see that we looked this way before?" TK asked. "Each of your souls had to discover it first for themselves before your partner was able to see it. While the two of you are bonded and will learn most things together some things-like this-until each of you discovers it for yourselves it will not be evident to your partner."

"What you learn here in your souls will remain once you return to your bodies. While they will look the same your minds will have grown to reflect what your soul has learned. Once we begin to teach you how to protect each other and yourselves you will remember this knowledge as well." Angewomon said.

"What do you plan to teach us?" Kari asked "And speaking of appearances why does Angemon look different than before?" "Here in your souls we are free to appear however we wish. The form I take now is my champion level, a stage of evolution in between rookie and ultimate. While not as strong as my ultimate form it is the one I am most comfortable in-and the one Angewomon prefers as well." He said with a wry smile towards his partner who just smiled and winked in reply. "As for what we will teach you….apart from how to protect yourselves and each other we will also teach you as much about the Digital World as we can. It is a wondrous place and its fate is tied closely to that of your own world."

TK and Kari looked at each other as they thought for a moment before coming to the same conclusion. "Let's get started then." TK said as he squeezed Kari's hand and received an answering squeeze in reply.

'Whatever happens we'll face it together. Always.'

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

The last three years had passed quickly and TK and Kari were now eight years old. At least that's how they appeared on the outside. Their minds however were much older, due in large part to the training and knowledge they had gained from their nightly teachings with their Digimon partners. Every night for the last three years the pair had been drawn into their souls and taught. While at first the lessons had been strictly knowledge of the Digital World and its connection to their own, gradually they had begun to learn how to protect themselves and each other. Along with TK and Kari the other children had been taught as well. As soon as they were able to after that first night of teaching the children had all gathered at Tai's house. As they came together that first day the changes in each of them were evident to each of them. Each of the children had grown in their own way.

Tai for example was still loud and headstrong but was decidedly more prone to thinking before he acted, Matt was no longer so closed off from the others, Sora had a better idea of her self worth, Mimi was quieter and thought before she spoke, Izzy was not so lost in his computer and it only took a quiet word from Mimi to bring him back to reality, Joe had lost some of his indecisiveness. TK and Kari had grown even closer than before, while they like the others shared the knowledge they had learned from their partners, the experience with the mirror was kept as a special secret between the two of them.

On their parents end of things they were simply happy that their children were alright and attributed their new attitudes and behaviors to their experience in rescuing Kari. The group of children had become inseparable as the three years had passed. They had started to do more and more together as a group further cementing their friendships.

Much to Tai and Sora's ecstatic joy the group had elected to join them in a soccer team. Surprisingly it had been Izzy who had proposed the idea, in his words it was "a good way to take care of ourselves physically and test our teamwork and strategy skills". Not surprisingly the children had done extremely well despite the difference in ages. Tai and Sora were nearly unstoppable as the forwards for the team, Izzy, Mimi and Kari and TK had proven to be excellent defenders and Joe to everyone's shock had developed into an absolutely fearless goalie. Sora and Tai spent a lot of time together as the unofficial co captains for the team causing the two to receive many knowing smiles from their parents.

In return Sora had suggested that the group take more interest in Izzy's favorite hobby. So in addition to school and soccer practice the group had taken up computer classes as well with Izzy as the teacher. Surprisingly Mimi had been the most adept at handling technology and as a birthday present that first year after Kari's kidnapping they had all pitched in and bought her a bright pink pineapple laptop and the exact same model in yellow for Izzy. Much like the two with their laptops they became nearly inseparable much to TK and Kari's amusement. Izzy didn't even complain when Mimi dragged him shopping, provided they spent at least some time looking at new software and upgrades for their computers.

It was at this birthday party that the group had discovered Mimi's fondness for cooking. Reasoning that knowing how to cook at such a young age couldn't be a bad thing their parents had happily signed them up for cooking classes, taught by none other than Mimi's mother who was a renowned chef in Japan. Surprisingly Matt and TK had exceeded everyone's expectations and were the best cooks in the group by a good margin. The brothers had proven to be an excellent team, exceeded only by TK and Kari as the two most organized and fluid chef's in the kitchen.

During the cooking lessons the group discovered an interesting fact about Matt. In addition to his growing musical skills he had an inherent fondness for camping and all things outdoors. Following in his footsteps the group eagerly convinced their parents to send them to both winter and summer camps to test their ability to survive in the wild. As a group they had been able to learn much about how to provide for themselves in the outdoors. While Matt was still the best Joe and Tai had proven themselves more than adequate, Tai's inherent fondness for fire was both a curse and a blessing in disguise. At one of their lessons with Matt's father Tai had managed to burn himself quite badly. Luckily Joe had been there and quickly tended to Tai's burn.

Realizing the need for not just Joe but the rest of them as well to know at least some first aid the group had easily convinced Joe's parents to teach them. Sora and Kari had proven to be excellent at medical care and both had proven themselves more than capable of tending any injuries that might arise in the group. This had proven to be fortunate in TK's case that Kari had some experience in first aid when he had come home from school one day with a black eye and cut lip.

After explaining to their parents that a boy in their class named Davis had pushed Kari out of the way one day when she and TK were playing and TK had simply reacted by punching the boy in the face. This had started a nice brawl between the two until the teacher had intervened leaving TK with his injuries and the boy with numerous bruises. Clearly TK had won that fight and while his parents had been disappointed with his behavior by continuing the fight they were proud of him for standing up for Kari. As his father had told him after the incident and Matt and Tai had agreed "Don't go around starting fights but do be prepared to finish it…besides I would have done the same thing if it was your mother." As a result the group had been signed up for martial arts classes, in this one area they had moved and grown as a group with no one being better than any of the others. In pairs however this was different, TK and Kari where by far the most skilled in working as a pair while Tai and Sora were close behind. Izzy and Mimi had proven to be a good pairing as well with Joe and Matt rounding out the groups. While they could work well with other partners from their group these pairings worked best.

As the last three years had passed the group had grown even closer. With soccer and martial arts three days a week, cooking and first aid lessons every other Saturday, computer lessons and practice while they did homework as a group each night, camping trips with one set of parents every other weekend and Sundays as a day to rest and prepare for the week the group was nearly always together. It was common for them all to be seen together with one set of parents which at times drew odd looks from other people outside of their close knit group.

In addition the parents had benefited as well with all of them inevitably closer as their children were nearly always together. It was common for the children to spend the night at one of their houses, not just on the weekends but through the week as well. Getting out and being with other people had greatly improved TK's parent's marriage and both of them were now quite happy. They had also spent more time together as a couple and both Matt and TK got to see a side of their father that he had only ever showed to Nancy.

As TK and Kari were now eight and the others ten and twelve in Joe's case the parents had finally decided to allow them to go to a summer camp supervised by someone other than a set of parents. Not surprisingly the children had picked a survival type summer camp. To the parents this would simply be another chance for the children to prove their skills to themselves, to the children however they knew this year was the year. The year they would be drawn into the digital world. As the third year had drawn closer the Digimon had been able to better predict when the children would be drawn into their world.

Knowing that there were no other humans in the Digital World and that food would be hard to come by the children had deliberately picked a survival camp, knowing that the amount of gear they would be bringing would be needed. Each had been sure to outfit themselves with everything they would need from cooking implements (Mimi would be in charge of the groups food supply) to individual first aid kits (Joe would be in charge of the group kit) fire kits (Tai would be in charge of the group kit) everything they could possibly need would have to be carried by the children and they wanted to be sure they were prepared.

As the group boarded the bus each was lost in thought wondering what adventures they might have, what they might learn, and if they would ever see their parents again. Only time would tell.

**A/N: Yo. Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I struggled with this one and as a result it's quite long. Hopefully that makes up for the wait. Also I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow. Chapter 11 is already mostly written I just need to tweak a few things and it'll be up soon. Read and review.**


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